How to set up a social media strategy within a well-established institution. Ingredients, processes, and other useful things to know

1. How to set up a social
media strategy within
a well-established
institution.
Ingredients,
processes,
and other useful
things to know

2. From January 2014, I’ve been in
charge (together with Susanna
Legrenzi) of the social media
team for Expo Milano 2015.
!
After nine months of work, we
have gathered a fantastic amount
of knowledge (learning by doing).
How to manage the new
communication paradigms within
a traditional institution.
Potential, successes, mistakes.
!
A very big, difficult and
fascinating challenge.
A lot of observations to share
with you.

3. You can intend this presentation as a manual of
instructions.
How to set up social media-based communication
within a traditional institution.
Enjoy!

4. 4
Expo Milano 2015
and
social media
communication

5. What is an Expo?
!

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Ottobre 2014 | Milano 6
A world's fair, world fair, world exposition or universal
exposition (sometimes spelled expo for short) is a
large public exhibition. These exhibitions vary in
character and are held in varying parts of the world.
The next World's fair will be Expo 2015 in Milan, Italy.
!
Since the entering into force of the 1928 Convention
Relating to International Exhibitions, the Bureau
International des Expositions (BIE; English:
International Exhibitions Bureau) has served as an
international sanctioning body for world's fairs.
BIE-approved fairs are of three types: universal,
international, and specialized.
They usually last from three weeks to six months.
!
(source: Wikipedia, October 2014)
“ “

7. What is social media?
!

8. Expo2015 | Bruxelles
Ottobre 2014 | Milano
Social media is the social interaction among people in which
they create, share or exchange information and ideas in virtual
communities and networks.
!
Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein define social media as
"a group of Internet-based applications that build on the
ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that
allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content."
!
Furthermore, social media depend on mobile and web-based
technologies to create highly interactive platforms through
which individuals and communities share, co-create, discuss,
and modify user-generated content. They introduce
substantial and pervasive changes to communication between
organizations, communities, and individuals.
!
(source: Wikipedia, October 2014)
!
“

9. Expo2015 | Bruxelles
Ottobre 2014 | Milano
Before we start:
!
Main facts to be shared and agreed with the people in charge
Further things to be shared and agreed with the people in charge
Main attitudes and understandings needed to succeed
Things to do
Ingredients needed
!
Now we can finally start:
!
What to do?
How to do?
Table of contents

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Ottobre 2014 | Milano 10
1. Before we start
Main facts to be shared and agreed
with the people in charge
Make sure they understand that social
media:
are expensive (in terms of human resources,
energy, money)
aren’t good for reaching "hard goals" (sales,
tickets, attendances, etc.).
need a very special and peculiar language
and form of interactions
often trigger heated exchanges, conflicts
and (various) confrontations.
require time for achieving significative goals
(and time cannot be compressed)
!
!

11. Expo2015 | Bruxelles
Ottobre 2014 | Milano
Related issues (see slide before):
!
the relationship between "hard goals" and
"brand or theme awareness"
the relationship between top down and bottom up
we live in a visual culture (and its consequences)

12. 12
2. Before we start
Further things to be shared and
agreed with the people in charge
Posting on Facebook and Instagram, tweeting
out and being active on Pinterest or Tumblr is
just a (little) part of the work
Social media are very useful to feel the pulse
of public opinion and general mood(s)
Social media are very useful to face crisis and
emergencies

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Ottobre 2014 | Milano 13
3. Before we start
Main attitudes and understandings
needed to succeed
!
Top people in your institution must
completely support and endorse you
Top people in your institution must
completely trust you (decisional chains
can't be long - or short)
Have frequent (daily) exchanges with the
top people in your institution
Special powers. For instance, you must
have access to all the information you
need (24/7, 365/365)

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Ottobre 2014 | Milano 1414
4. Before we start
Things to do
!
Benchmark similar activities / projects/
situations
Define (in a very clear and precise way)
the various parameters of success (what
are they and what are they not)
Define clearly the timelines and budgets

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Ottobre 2014 | Milano 15
5. Before we start
Ingredients needed
!
All the required competences around one
table (everything should be done in-
house, together)
A right-sized team (not too small, not too
big) (very) young people in your team
Focus only on social media (social media
is very different than web and any other
communication tools)

16. Expo2015 | Bruxelles
Ottobre 2014 | Milano
6. Now we can finally start
What to do?
!
Map carefully the internal network
of your institution
Map carefully the external network
of your institution (stakeholders, etc)
Set up a number of simple projects
to get your team into working fine
Set up a number of simple projects
to build internal consensus and
explain others around what you do
Set up different projects to activate
your external network(s)
!

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Ottobre 2014 | Milano 17
Be transparent as much as possible
Share (strategies, tools, references) as
much as possible
Enable third parties (communities,
associations, other institutions, etc.).
The point is not to spread your message,
the point is to enable third parties to
spread their messages.
Never forget the traditional
communication tools (workshops,
meetings, real-life situations). As social
media are digital tools, real-life activities
become extremely important.
7. Now we can finally start
What we do?
!

18. Expo2015 | Bruxelles
Ottobre 2014 | Milano
18
Expo Milano 2015, main official
social media channel:
!
!
!
Expo Vintage
Expo in viaggio
Workshop
at Expo Gate
PinterestTwitter
Facebook
page
General
Information

19. Expo Milano 2015
Social Media Team
!
Susanna Legrenzi, Stefano Mirti
Direction and Organization
!
Franz Goria
Art Direction
!
Alessandro Mininno
Media Planning and Special Projects
!
Roberto Bianchi, Manuela Bonfiglio,
Giuseppe Rubinetti, Giulia Vai
!

20. Thank you for your attention.
To contact:
socialmedia@expo2015.org
!
!
!